During last week's Tri County Economic Forecast Conference, Randall Kempner referred to the importance of creativity. Specifically, he referred to the writings of Richard Florida, and his books which highlight the importance of attracting and retaining a talented workforce, and the importance of communities that accept different perspectives and differing views. (I highly recommend reading The Rise of the Creative Class, and The Flight of the Creative Class.)

Creativity is vital. One important and often overlooked aspect of any community is the arts. Last week the National Governor's Association released a new report highlighting the importance of the arts to community economic development. The report, available online (click here) provides an outstanding portrait of the ways in which the arts play an important role in supporting regional economic development across America.